Ambition pops up in Tar Baby as not so much as a theme as a debate, especially between Jade and Son. Jade always argues that Son is a fool for saying he doesn't want any money or fameand claims that he is just making excuses for being a lazy failure. Son, though, insists that he's just being true to his black heritage by refusing to go to white universities and chase the white man's definition of success. In the end, it seems like there's just no way for the two of them to reconcile their differences. Their relationship falls apart largely because of their different approaches to the idea of ambition.
Questions About Ambition
- Do you side with Son or Jade when it comes to the question of ambition? In the context of this novel, who is being more reasonable?
- What are some of the consequences of Jade's following her ambition? Who gets left behind?
- Is Jade or Son the protagonist of Tar Baby? Why?
- What do you think Jade truly wants to do with her life? Where does she want to end up? Use specific evidence from the text to support your answer.
Chew on This
In Tar Baby, Morrison shows us that ambition can be a terrible thing when it makes you forsake your family and your roots for individual success.
In Tar Baby, we learn that the only true way for people to move on from the past is to do their best and to be as successful as possible.